Clasp.



CHARLES C. WRIGHT, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented April 16, 1907.

Application filed September '7, 1906. Serial No. 333,618.

1'0 a/ZZ when?, it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianap olis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to clasps for use upon articles of jewelry, butmore particularly to necklace-clasps, and has for its essential objectssecurity and simplicity in operation and structure, 'together withcheapnes's.

To the above ends my invention consists in the novel construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l. is a side elevation of thenovel clasp; Fig. 2, a longitudinal central section of the barrel,showing the catch in elevation; Fig. 3, a similar view of the same,showing the catch in position preparatory to withdrawal; Fig. 4, asimilar section of a portion of the barrel, showing the catch partiallyremoved; Fig. 5, a like section of the same, showing the catch in nalposition of removal Fig. 6, an end elevation of the clasp, and Fig. 7 asection of the same on line :c d@ of Fig. 3.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the views.

My clasp comprises a cylindrical barrel A, provided at one end as with aring a, fixed thereto or forming a part thereof, adapted to receive oneend of the necklace. The other barrel end a2 is provided with an openinga3 to receive the catch member,which will be hereinafter described.Soldered to the inner face of the end plate a2 is a crescent cam-plateB. As shown in Fig. 7, the middle portion of the concaved margin of thecam-plate is coincident or iiush with the periphery of the opening a3 inthe plate a2.

The catch member comprises a bar C, provided with a terminal. ring c toreceive the second end of the necklace and an integral spring orcompressible arm c', the whole constituting a V spring-catch. In engagedposition the arm or tongue c abuts against the inner face of thecam-plate B. In order to disengage the parts, the ring c is manuallypulled in an outward direction and simultaneously twisted from thepositions shown in Figs. 2 and 3 until the tongue c', as shown in Fig.4., passes within the plane of the plate b and contacts with the platea2. The described movement of the catch as it is continued slides thetongue c along the curved margin of the cam B, whereby the tongue iscompressed toward or againsty the bar C sufliciently to allow the escapeofy the tongue through the opening a3, as shown in Fig. 5.

It will be observed that since the detachment of the parts requires adouble or compound movement no opportunity for accidental separation ofthe parts exists.

It is deemed important that the plate B be of such shape and sizeas toextend upon both sides of the vertical and transverse diameters of theopening a3, as seen inFig. 7, so as to compress the spring-arm as thecatch is4 turned, and, furthermore ,this crescent-shaped plate serves tomaterially strengthen the` end of the barrel. Furthermore, this form ofplate greatly facilitates the easy and gradual compression of the catch'to avoid undue strain, which it is essential to guard against in thisclass of delicate devices.

What I claim is- 1. In a clasp, the combination with a barrel with aring rigid therewith at one end and an opening at the other end, of acatch member adapted to enter said opening and comprising a bar withring at one end and a springarm, and means within the barrel against theend thereof with a portion of 'its face coincident with the opening insuch end, the free end of said spring-arm constructed to engagie theinner wall of said end of the barrel, said means within the barrelhaving a cam-surface extending upon both sides of the transverse andvertical diameters of said opening for engagement with the free end ofsaid springarm for compressing the same.

2. In a clasp, the combination with the `barrel provided with an openingto receive a catch member, of a crescent cam-plate eX- tending upon bothsides of the transverse and vertical diameters of said opening and fixedwithin the barrel against the end thereof adjacent the opening andhaving a portion IOO of its concave margin flush with the adjacent Intestimony whereof I have afIXed my perphey of the opening, of a catlhllflemloer signature in presence of two Witnesses. adapte to enter thebarrel throug t eo ening, and a eompressble arm upon the ctch CHARLES C'WRIGHT member adapted, When the catch member is Witnesses: rotated toengage the curved i' ace of the cam- J. C. SIPE, plate. C. C. BROWY.

